FOR 3000: Ecology and Evolution of Intraspecific Chemodiversity in Plants

在许多植物物种中发现了极高的种内化学多样性，即化学多样性。这种化学多样性可能对互利主义者和拮抗剂，相关的食物网，并最终对生物多样性产生明显的生态影响。对遭受非生物和生物挑战的植物的研究往往忽视种内植物化学多样性作为相关表型变异的水平。这限制了我们对种内化学多样性如何进化以及其生态功能的理解。因此，本研究单位（RU）的首要目标是调查生态后果以及种内植物化学多样性的出现和维持。在第一个资助期内，我们的RU揭示了影响植物种内化学多样性的各种因素，并开发了量化的统计工具。COR项目组织了一项环试验，以评估各实验室在挥发物收集和分析方面的差异水平。使用受控实验室和田间实验，RU的项目测试了植物化学多样性对不同互利主义者和拮抗剂的影响，揭示了化学多样性的规模和相互作用伙伴的物种身份作为重要的决定因素。为了研究植物化学多样性是如何遗传决定和维持的，我们使用了代谢和遗传分析结合建模方法，揭示了几个潜在的解释作为管理高水平的化学多样性的因素。在第二个供资期，我们将继续探讨我们的核心问题，并进行一些重要的扩展。特别是，我们打算包括非生物的挑战，特别是干旱，对化学多样性的影响，包括地下的相互作用和根化学多样性，探索进一步的潜在选择压力。COR项目将监督该RU中所有项目的整合，包括项目成果的迭代综合。此外，COR将协调一个共同的实验，探索化学多样性的可塑性，所有项目都将为此做出贡献。此外，它将启动一个公民科学项目，让公众参与我们的研究，特别是植物化学多样性对昆虫的影响。它还将协调一系列专门的联合项目会议和研讨会，包括一次国际会议，由RU以外的专家提供投入。COR项目将保证实施公平措施，并支持RU的年轻研究人员。总之，COR项目中的活动将确保实现该RU的附加值，这超出了单个项目的成就。

An extraordinarily high intraspecific chemical diversity, i.e. chemodiversity, has been found in many plant species. This chemodiversity has likely pronounced ecological effects on mutualists and antagonists, associated food webs and, ultimately, biodiversity. Studies on plants subjected to abiotic and biotic challenges often neglect intraspecific plant chemodiversity as a level of relevant phenotypic variation. This limits our understanding of how intraspecific chemodiversity has evolved and what its ecological functions may be. Therefore, the overarching aim of this Research Unit (RU) is to investigate the ecological consequences as well as the emergence and maintenance of intraspecific plant chemodiversity. In the first funding period, our RU revealed various factors that influence plant intraspecific chemodiversity and developed statistical tools for its quantification. The COR project organised a ring trial to assess the level of variation in collection and analysis of volatiles across laboratories. Using controlled laboratory and field experiments, the projects of the RU tested the consequences of plant chemodiversity on different mutualists and antagonists, revealing the scale of chemodiversity and species identity of interaction partners as important determinants. To investigate how plant chemodiversity is genetically determined and maintained, we used metabolic and genetic analyses combined with modelling approaches, which revealed several potential explanations as factors governing high levels of chemodiversity. In a second funding period, we will pursue our central questions with some important extensions. In particular, we intend to include the effects of abiotic challenges, in particular drought, on chemodiversity and include belowground interactions and root chemodiversity, exploring further potential selection pressures. The COR project will oversee the integration of all projects in this RU, including an iterative synthesis of results across the projects. Moreover, the COR will coordinate a common experiment exploring the plasticity of chemodiversity to which all projects will contribute. Furthermore, it will initiate a citizen science project to involve the general public in our research, in particular on the effects of plant chemodiversity on insects. It will also coordinate a series of dedicated joint project meetings and workshops, including an international conference, with input from experts outside the RU. The COR project will guarantee that equity measures are implemented and that young researchers in the RU are supported. In conclusion, the activities in the COR project will ensure that the added value of this RU, which goes beyond the achievements of the individual projects, will be realised.